How to Clean Memory in the Xiaomi Cloud: A Complete Guide

Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have great cameras that create high-resolution files that quickly fill the available space. When the internal memory is overflowing, the system suggests using the Mi Cloud cloud storage, but its limits are not unlimited. Sooner or later, each user is notified that the quota is exhausted, and further synchronization becomes impossible.

Cleaning up the cloud isn't just about removing redundant files, it's about structuring data to keep the ecosystem running smoothly. Wrong actions can lead to loss of important contacts or settings, so you need to be mindful about the process. In this article, we'll look at all the ways to free up space, from manually cleaning the gallery to managing system backups.

Device owners often don't realize that deleting a photo on the phone itself doesn't always free up space in the cloud because of synchronization mechanisms. Understanding the logic of how Mi Cloud works will allow you to effectively manage storage without risking losing valuable moments. Let's take a closer look at which data takes up the most space and how to safely dispose of it.

Analysis of the occupancy of the Mi Cloud storage

Before embarking on radical data removal measures, it is important to determine exactly what consumes your 5GB limit (or more if you have a subscription attached). MIUI and HyperOS provide detailed statistics showing the distribution of space between photos, videos, documents and system backups. It often turns out that the lion’s share is not personal photos at all, but old backups of already sold or lost devices.

To view the detailed information, go to the settings menu and select your Mi Account account. The window that opens will display a color diagram that visualizes the space occupancy. By clicking on a specific sector, such as Gallery or Backup, you will see the exact amount of data you are taking and the number of files, which helps you to understand whether to delete individual photos or to clear the app cache more easily.

Note the “Other” section, which can sometimes swell to inadequate sizes due to synchronization errors or frozen installation files. If this option takes more than 1 GB, it is recommended to check for large attachments in messages or forgotten downloads in the cloud drive.

• 📊 Go to Settings. → Mi Account. → Mi Cloud to view the chart.
• 📂 Separately check the section "Disk", where forgotten downloads from the browser can lie.
• 📱 Make sure you look at the statistics of the device that takes up the most space.

⚠️ Note: If you see a device in the list of synced that you have not used for a long time, it is better to turn off its sync so that it does not take up space with system files.

Gallery management and removal of media files

Photos and videos are the main consumer of cloud storage space from any manufacturer. In the Xiaomi ecosystem, removing a picture from the gallery on your phone when synchronized automatically removes it from the cloud after 30 days (the storage period in the cart). However, if your goal is to make space in the Mi Cloud, and not on the phone, the algorithm of actions changes.

You'll need to access the web version of the service or disable sync before deleting. Many users make the mistake of simply deleting a photo on a smartphone, thinking that the copy will remain in the cloud, but with active Wi-Fi, the file will disappear everywhere.

In the web interface, you can massively highlight unnecessary screenshots, blurred frames or duplicates and delete them directly from the storage. Once deleted, the files go to the cloud service cart, where they need to be deleted permanently so that the space is freed up instantly. Remember that 4K video is huge, and cleaning them gives the fastest result.

There's also a "Similar Photo Cleanup" feature built into some versions of the gallery that helps you find duplicates. Using albums to sort doesn't reduce the amount of time you take, because it's just virtual shortcuts, not file transfers. The only real space release is when you physically delete the source.

Cleaning system backups

The most hidden and often ignored memory consumer is backups of system and application settings. Every time you change your phone or reset settings, Mi Cloud can create a new backup, keeping the history of all your devices. Old copies tied to models like the Redmi Note 8 or Mi 9 that you have already sold continue to take up precious gigabytes.

To delete them, you go to the storage management and select the backup section, which will show you a list of all the devices that have backups, and you can select a particular model and delete its data in its entirety, including the list of installed applications, the location of icons on the desktop and system settings, which is irreversible for the device you select.

Delete path: Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup → Select device → Delete

It is important to distinguish between the backup of the system and the backup of messages or voice recorders. The latter are stored in separate subsections and can take up significant space if you often record long lectures or save thousands of SMS. Regularly reviewing these sections allows you to keep the cloud clean without losing current data from your current smartphone.

• 🗑️ Remove backups of devices you no longer own.
• 💬 Check the backup volume SMS and MMS, They can weigh a lot.
• 📞 The contact list usually takes up a minimum of space, it can not be touched.

⚠️ Note: Before removing the backup, make sure that all important settings are saved or manually rewritten on the current device, as it will be impossible to restore them from the deleted copy.

Working with Mi Drive and Documents

The Mi Drive service functions similarly to Google Drive or Dropbox and is designed to store arbitrary files. PDF-documents, installations APK-files or heavy archives that were transferred from a computer a month ago, and these data are not automatically synchronized with the gallery and require manual control.

To clean up, go to the Files app on your smartphone or the web version of the drive. Sort files by size to see the biggest gluttons right away. Often, at the root of the disk are older versions of firmware or installers that you'll never need again. Deleting them is the safest way to quickly get a few hundred megabytes of free space.

Also worth checking is the Recycle Bin folder inside Mi Drive. Deleted files are stored there for up to 30 days, continuing to occupy space in your quota. Recycle Bin cleaning is the final touch, after which the occupancy statistics will be updated. Remember that synchronizing folders from the desktop (if you have a PC program installed) can also clog the cloud with work documents.

Documents saved from messengers like WeChat or Telegram can also be accessed by the cloud if the appropriate auto-save is set up, and checking dialog attachments and cleaning them through the file manager will make life easier for your storage.

Comparison of data cleanup methods

There are several approaches to freeing up space, and each has its own advantages and risks. Understanding the differences between deleting on-device and using a web interface is critical to saving data. Below is a table to help you choose the right method for your situation.

As you can see from the table, the only way to remove a photo from the cloud but leave it on your phone is to use the i.mi.com web interface or pre-disable gallery sync. Simply pressing the "delete" button in the Gallery app with active Wi-Fi will cause the image to be lost everywhere.

Use a combination of techniques to get the best results. First, clean the backups of old devices, then scour the video archive through the web interface, and then start sorting current photos, this approach ensures that you do not delete excess and make the most of the available volume.

Alternatives and storage expansion

If manual cleaning does not bring the desired result, and you do not want to delete important memories, it is worth considering options for expanding the available space. Xiaomi offers paid subscription rates for Mi Cloud+, which increase the limit to 50 GB, 200 GB or 2 TB. This is true for those who want to have a full backup of the device without the need to constantly monitor the place.

Alternatively, you can migrate some of the data to other platforms, such as duplicate photos in Google Photos (compressing them to save space) or to a physical external drive. For video archives that take up the most space, transferring them to a computer and then removing them from the cloud is a great solution.

Remember that free 5GB is primarily a space for mission-critical data: contacts, notes and system settings. Storing a full photo archive in its original quality quickly exhausts this limit. Using a hybrid strategy (cloud for important, disk for media) is the most rational approach.

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Tip: Set up the automatic upload of photos in Google Photos in the "Saving space" mode (compression), and in Mi Cloud leave only the originals of the most important pictures, disabling autosynchronization of the video.

Regular cloud storage maintenance, at least once a quarter, will help avoid situations where the phone stops accepting new photos or making contact backups at the most inopportune time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Regular cleaning of backups of old devices and video archives is the most effective way to keep order in the cloud Xiaomi without financial costs.